THE SHOEING OF HORSES. 29 



little, however, how accurate the fit, if the nails are bad ; while, 

 on the other hand, it matters little how good the nails, if the fit 

 of the shoe is bad. It is a simple matter (assuming that the fit 

 of the shoe is good and the nails are good) to work a horse 

 with each shoe secured by five nails, and should this number be 

 found insufiicient, others can be added according to the necessities 

 of the case. Five nails to each shoe will be found totally inade- 

 quate for draught horses. Eight nails may be found necessary to 

 each shoe for this class of horse. 



The best plan for a gentleman to pursue is this : first, he 

 should know whether the farrier he employs be a skilled work- 

 man or not ; if the former, he should, by a few experiments 

 carefully conducted, determine this question for his own satis- 

 faction, and when determined should follow his own rule in the 

 matten 



